Kimba the White Lion - The King is Dead, All Hail the King (Vol. 1) [VHS]

Osamu Tezuka based Kimba on his popular comic strip, "Jungle Emperor." It was the first color Japanese series to air in the U.S. when it debuted in 1966.

Kimba is born on a ship taking his mother to a European zoo. When the ship sinks, Kimba swims back to Africa, where he's hailed as the successor to his father, Caesar. With the help of his friends Dan'l Baboon and Pauley Cracker, a loudmouth parrot, Kimba protects all the animals. He insists on fair play, honesty, and trying one's best, sometimes to the point of priggishness. Kimba--who is, improbably, a vegetarian--organizes the planting of a communal garden to provide food during droughts in "Jungle Thief." Samson the Cape buffalo challenges Kimba's democratic ideas in "Great Caesar's Ghost." Dan'l and Pauley put on the rug made out of Caesar's skin and pose as his ghost in this very odd episode.

The animation is extremely limited, even by the undemanding standards of '60s TV cartoons. Kimba's oversized round head, large eyes, and huge ears look cute rather than feline, and may appeal to very small children. Kids over 8 will quickly grow impatient with the slow pacing and lack of action. For ages 3 and up; animals occasionally engage in mild cartoon fights. --Charles Solomon

Price: $14.98

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